There has been much research that shows a direct relationship between comfort, safety, and productivity in the workplace. In situations where long periods of standing exist, worker discomfort and fatigue can negatively impact productivity, absenteeism, and healthcare costs. Standing requires about 20 percent more energy than sitting. The foot is a very complex organ, a structure of 25 bones, or 12.5% of all the bones in the entire body, 56 ligaments, 38 muscles and over 7000 nerve endings. It is essential to recognize that your feet are sensitive parts of your body deserving good care. Being farthest from the heart, the feet generally have the poorest circulation in the body and this diminishes with age Depending on the floor surface and the amount of time workers are standing, employees can ‘feel drained’ and experience poor blood circulation in feet and legs. This may lead to serious consequences for health and safety at the work place. Beyond discomfort, pain and fatigue sets up the worker for further injuries affecting the muscles and joints. In addition an employee who is suffering from pain and fatigue is less alert and more likely to act in an unsafe manner.
Anti-fatigue mats have been designed to provide effective shock attenuation to address this problem. These mats are made of various materials including rubber, vinyl, wood and carpeting materials. By alleviating pressure, it can help stimulate blood circulation and possibly reduce stress of the lower back, leg joints, and major muscle groups. The result is an improved workplace with fewer occupational health complaints.
One anti-fatigue mat is available from 3M which is formed of a layer of intermingled course strands of heat bondable flexible plastics or rubber material which fibers are bonded together at crossing points to form an interconnected mat. One surface of the layer is relatively flat and the bonding effect is more pronounced with some of the strands clearly melted in the bonding process to form a tight surface while the other surface is looser and the strands less bonded together so that the strands are loose at the surface and stand out from the surface. This mat is commercially available and widely used as a floor covering for commercial floors for purposes of reducing fatigue in workers required to stand and work on the floor for extended time periods. The mat is applied to the floor surface such as concrete with the tight surface in contact with the floor and the loose surface facing upwardly. This mat is resistant to wear and to damage from commercial use including material spills and thus is widely used.
Many anti-slip soles are available for workplaces or exterior use but these are generally formed as a shoe to be worn on the foot of the wearer rather than as a strap on cover. Examples are manufactured by Shoes for Crews Inc. and Skid Busters. These provide soles with nubs or projections on the bottom surface which tend to be more slip resistant and tend to prevent or inhibit the accumulation of ice and snow.
One example of a strap on cover is shown in Canadian Application 2,421,460 by the present applicant which was published Sep. 11, 2003.